Fruit grader



Nov. l2, 1929.

P. ALRoBBlNs 1,735,795

FRUIT GRADER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 10, 1928 Patented Nov. 12,19.29

am me rnno A. noBBINs, or' HIGHLANDPARK, ILLINors v :FRUIT GRADERApplication mea December 1o, 192s. serial No. 325,052. I

This invention relates to graders for fruit and the like.4 Heretofore'itvhasl been 4-ithe general practice to vemploy travelling bands or beltson which the fruit is conveyed. These 5 belts lie in a horizontalplanebut diverge fromrone anotherV so ythat the fruit will fall through thegradually widening space between the belts. Another arrangement 'isto.employ parallel belts of progressively in- 10 'creased lengths toincrease the spaces between the belts. In either case the fruit is heldbetween ythe belts by an angle of nip and just before reaching apointwhere the `angle of nip is 180 degrees; at about which point the 15belts release the fruit, a high pressure is imposed between the vbeltsand the fruit which mars delicate fruits or those with tender skins.Another objectionable feature of the above described types of graders isthat the 120 fruit, when released by the belts,- must drop a distancebelo'w'the belts suflicientto pro- Y yvide clearance to permit thefruittol rollout of the graderfrom beneath'thevv belts. This drop results inthe fruit being'bruised.V The if l:25y object of the present inventionis to providea grader of simple construction -which will overcome theabove' objectionable features.v

I Vattain my .object'by'providing belt conveyors which Vare"spaced aparthorizontally v' `3.0 and ldiverged vertically whereby the pressurebetween the belts and the fruit carried thereby is reduced to aminimumand the fruit; when released; merely rolls on toa chute locatedclose tothe lower belt. v v

The V constructions are hereinafter more fully described landareillustrated in the accompanying drawings in'vvhchv v Fig.` l isa sideelevation of my grading apparatus; j f

Fig.'2 an end view thereof; j Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig.` .1; Fig. 4"a cross section'of the belts shown 1n Fig. 5 a diagrammatic View showingfive progressive positions of a pieceof fruit;

Fig. 6 a cross section through jeach ofthe positions of the fruitindicatedinFig. 5;

Fig. 7 a perspective view of the bar for supporting the inclined belt;

Fig. 8 a diagrammatic view illustrating the indicate corresponding partsinthe d iHerent figures.'` f

belts. *The band 3 forms a separator between the two sets of'belts andprevents the fruit `fruit reaches apointatwhich Vit will pass manner ofdischarging fruitfrom 'the graders heretofore in use; v 1

Fig. 9 afdiagrammatic view illustrating the manner of discharging fruitfrom-my grader;

Fig.jl0 a diagrammatic view showing the 55 force represented by theweight of the fruit` resolved into component'forces'acting vat thepointsV of support in the graders heretofore infuse5and' f f n Fig. 11is asimilar view showing 'theyresults in my grader, the angle of nipbeing the l same in both cases. Y

I n the drawings like numerals of 'reference 5 isa frame on which issuitably jourvnalled la roller (Shaving a driving pulley-V securedthereto. Pairs of endless belts 1i, 2"; la; 2%# and a `bandB are passedround the roller Gand 'lie in grooves formed therein. 70 The other endof the belts l, '1Ei are passed around a roller 7 The belts 2 and 2a'and theband 3 arepassed overl rollers 8 and 9 and each supportatightening device'lO which includesa pulley and weight.l The 75 roller 8isjour'nalled above the roller 7 whereby the belts 2, 2L are separatedkgradually towardsthe vertical from the belts l, la'.

A chute l1 is provided for feeding the fruit to be graded to both setsl, 2; la', 2a of grader from travelling along fon' both'the horizontalbelts l, la o f. adjacent graders. When the through the graduallywideningspace 'between the belts l, .2 Crm-2a; it rolls'on to adischarge chute l2, see Fig.` 9. As lthe fruit is clear of thegraderimmediately it rolls off the lower belt l; the chute 12 will belocated 9o close'to the said "belt to elminateall poss'-` bilities ofthefruit being bruised on itsdischarge from the grader.

In the graders heretofore in use, see Figs. Sand l0; the belts 01 .andog'ldiverge but as Athey lie in the same horizontal plane, the

fruit, when dischargedtherefrom, must drop Von `to a ydischarge chute012.

I The distance through which the fruit drops must be suf-v ici'ent toyprovide clearancer for thel passage 100 of the fruit from beneath otherfruit being conveyed by the belts. In addition to the fruit beingbruised when it strikes the chute 012, it is subjected to ahigh'pressure by the beltsro1 and 02 both before land during the releaseof the fruit therefrom. This high pressure is diagrammatically`illustrated-in Fig. 10 in which a piece of fruitF weighing say 1 lb. issupported on the horizontally diverging belts, the angle of nip being150 degrees. By resolving this force C A of 1 lb. into component forcesacting at thepoints of support, it is found that the components C B andC D equal 1.8 lbs. which is the pressure exerted at each of the pointsof support. As the fruit :travels along with the belts, the angle of nipincreasesv and the pressure becomes greater. A further influence tending.tol mar the fruit is caused by its. tendency to roll downwardly throughthe' space between thebelts, thus increasing the pressure at the pointsAof support and giving a torsional component to the component forcessupporting it. These combined actions are equivalent to applying a forceto the vfruit of nearly twice its weight and then imparting a twistingmotion to the means which isapplying the force.-

` l A diagram of the forces acting upon a piece of fruit F about to bedischarged from the belts 1,2of ymy grader is shown inv-Fig. 11, theangle of nip being `the same as shown in Fig. V10. f The force C, Arepresenting the` weight 1 lb. of the `fruit Fv is resolved 4,into

' component -forces of 1.3 andA lbs at the points of support 1 and 2respectively. As ytheangl'e of nip increases, the pressure `at 1.y doesknot increase in the same-proportion as the pressure at o1 in the type-of grader illustrated in 10. Further, it ywill be vnoted thattheVtorsionaleii'ect in H ly grader isfarless than that Vin the -gradersheretofore in use. Y

The belts 1, v1i? Aaresupported by ordinary grooved bars and the belts2,2'-d 'are supported by bars 14 having grooves 15 formed therein. Whilethe -grooves 15 are straight, the bars 14y are twisted on their axes toprovide clearance forthe fruitasit moves from the point of feeding toany vpointof discharge. The bars are secured in anysuitable 4"manner tothe `frame 5 ofthe apparatus.

What l claim is 1 .1.` AV grader .includingl a having two sidesarrangedVinea warped planeV which is approximately*horizontal at the feedy endof the'grader and, twists gradually towards 'a vertical positionalongthe length ofthe I 25.7'A grader `including a way having twotravelling sides larranged ina warped plane Which is approximatelyhorizontal at the feed end of the grader andftwists gradually towardsavertical position along the length of thefway. A

3. A grader including conveyor belts having theirrreeeiving portionsapproximately in the same horizontal plane, the belts being diverged bya gradual separation in a vertiside, one ofthe belts being arrangedsubstantiallyhorizontal and another of the belts being inclined ytheretoto permit a lateral discharge ofthe'articles being graded.

5.. A` grader including conveyor belts having their receiving portionsapproximately in thesame horizontal plane, the belts diverging graduallyby relative displacement in vertical direction to permit a lateraldischarge ofthe articles being graded; and means for supporting thebelts adapted at all points to provide clearance for the conveyance ofthe varticles being graded.

6. A grader including conveyor belts hav,- i-ng their receiving portionsarranged side by side, the belts diverging gradually by relativedisplacement in a vertical direction to permit a lateral discharge ofthe articles being graded, and bars Vfor supporting the belts, one ofthebars being twisted longitudinally toprovide clearance for the conveyanceof the articles beinggraded. i

7 A grader including conveyor belts havingL theirV receiving portionsarranged side by side, the belts diverging gradually by relativedisplacement Vinfa vertical direction to permit a lateral discharge ofthe articles ,being graded, and bars having grooves formedlongitudinally thereof to receive the belts, the inclined bar beingtwisted longitudinally to provide vclearance for the conveyance of thearticles being graded.

8. A grader including a way having two sides arranged side by side atthe receiving end thereof, the sides'being separated gradually in avertical direction to permita lateral discharge 'of the articles beinggraded, and a discharge chute located close to the lower side of theway. i .-f

v 9. A grader including two conveyor belts arranged side by side at thereceiving ends` thereof, the belts being separated graduallyV byrelative displacement in a vertical direc-V a guidel bar for reinforcingthe Vsecond belt,

the last mentioned guide bar being 4twisted contact path between the`second belt and the said bar is a straight line and clearance isprovided for the conveyance of the articles being graded.

Signed at Highland Park,"Ill., this 4th day of. December, 1928. s

' PERcY A. y i-ioBBINs.

spirally throughout its length whereby the 11.20

